Once a stablemate and workout partner, Canelo Alvarez was genuinely pleased when Ryan Garcia decided to reunite with his longtime trainer, Eddy Reynoso, after a long break. But timing got in the way. With Canelo preparing for his own undisputed super middleweight fight against IBF champion William Scull, Reynoso couldn’t be in Garcia’s corner. As a result, Ryan Garcia had to switch trainers for his scheduled bout with Rolando Romero a day before Canelo’s own fight with the Cuban. Though he found support in veteran trainer Derrick James, the outcome was bad, to say the least.

Despite being the heavy favorite going into the fight, Ryan Garcia suffered a shocking loss to Romero, derailing not just his momentous return but also any immediate hopes of a blockbuster rematch with Devin Haney. And now, Canelo Alvarez, fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Scull just a day after Garcia’s loss, is feeling bad for his young friend.

Soon after the win, when asked by FightHubTV for his thoughts on Ryan Garcia’s loss to Romero, Canelo Alvarez kept it simple. “I feel sorry for him,” he said. The 34-year-old further added, “But he’s in boxing. You know things happen.”

But while the Victorville native pointed to the odd vibe and awkward setup, Canelo Alvarez wasn’t convinced that was the root of the problem. When it came to analyzing what went wrong for KingRy, Canelo offered one key reason: “One year layoff—it’s hard.” And sure, it’s worth noting that Rolando Romero was also returning after a long break. But even so, Canelo Alvarez made his point.

Canelo Alvarez picks who’s next for Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia, like most of his fans, is still trying to wrap his head around the loss. But not everyone shared in the shock or disappointment. In fact, one person seemed pretty pleased with how things played out. It’s Jake Paul. Just last month, when Ryan Garcia was asked if he considered The Problem Child a “real boxer,” he didn’t hold back. “He’s a wild card,” Garcia said. “I mean, I don’t know if he’s a boxer…”

Fast forward to fight night, and Jake Paul didn’t miss the opportunity to fire back. After Garcia’s unexpected defeat to Rolando Romero, Jake Paul jumped on his Instagram story and posted a second-round knockdown photo of KingRy with the caption, “Irony always wins.” Cold!

Now, while Jake Paul’s gearing up for his own bout against Julio César Chávez Jr. on June 28th, Garcia is left looking at a much foggier road ahead. But if Ryan Garcia’s wondering what comes next, Canelo Alvarez has some words of reassurance for him.

As the interview went on, Canelo Alvarez was pressed with another big question. “Would you rather see him fight Haney again? Or Rolly again?” To which, Canelo Alvarez didn’t offer a strategic breakdown or lean toward one name over the other. “You know, whatever,” he said calmly. “He’s a good fighter.”

With that said, who should Ryan Garcia fight next? And do you agree with Canelo Alvarez’s take that the layoff cost him the fight?